-- CHAPTER I: The different judgments which men unregenerate and regenerate have of spiritual things
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.' Thus he prays for the Philippians, chap. 1:9, 'And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.' Thus he prays for the Colossians, chap. 1:9, 'For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.' And therefore, whenever thou goest to God in prayer hereafter, forget not to ask his eye-salve of him: Rev. 3:18, 'I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eye-salve, that thou may see.' What is that but his Spirit to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see things aright, and judge of things that differ?
Remember that Christ is a prophet for thee as well as a king and priest, and that when all his benefits are reduced but to four heads, wisdom is put in as one, and one of the chief also: 1 Cor. 1:30, 31, 'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord.'
BOOK IV:
Of that corruption which is in the practical judgments of unregenerate men
CHAPTER I
The different judgments which men unregenerate and regenerate have of spiritual things The nature of practical knowledge explained.—The different judgments which men unregenerate and regenerate have of spiritual things I HAVE proved that the mind and understanding is corrupt; that it is dark as to any apprehensions of the things of God; I have explained wherein this blindness consists, and what are the causes of it; I have described the difference there is between the speculative knowledge of a godly man and of one unregenerate; it now remains that I should plainly draw the lines of difference that is between the practical judgments, or working knowledge of one and the other concerning spiritual things. This is necessary to be done, because men whose minds are not renewed by the Spirit of God have some kind of judgment or practical knowledge about divine truths, which yet doth not arise to that knowledge which the regenerate have, and also because that the chief end of these truths, if known aright, is to operate on our hearts and to set them a-work.
Now herein, that I may carry things clearly before me, it is necessary that I lay open to you, First, In general the nature of that kind of knowledge which we call practical, that is, which works in and upon a man's will and affections by what we know; and then, Secondly, Come particularly to shew the difference which is between this kind of knowledge in one who is savingly enlightened, and another who is not.
First, In the general, to explain what practical knowledge is. It is said to be so in two respects.
1. Then knowledge is practical, when it affects, moves, and stirs the will and affections to the thing which it knows. I put in this, to the thing which it knows, to set one difference between it and barely knowing knowledge. For in speculative knowledge our minds are wholly taken up and delighted with the bare knowledge and speculation of the thing; and though the knowledge may and doth affect us, for it produceth such a pleasure, yet not the things which we know. But when we know things in that manner as that our wills and affections are moved and stirred to the things themselves, as well as to the desire of or delight in the knowledge of them, it is called practical knowledge. Or, 2. It is called practical when it is such a knowledge as is able to guide, manage, and direct our wills and affections, and other faculties in us, in the practice and exercise of such actions, whereby we may come to enjoy the thing which we desire. To give an instance by which this may the more fully be cleared to you;— A man may have learned the art of music, and know how songs are made, and all the roles of harmony by which they are composed, and he may be much delighted with this knowledge, and yet not have a mind to have a lesson played, nor be much affected if he hear one, but he rests satisfied barely in the knowledge of the art itself. This now is a bare knowing knowledge.
Another man, who knows not so well the art of music, yet when he hears a lesson he understands the harmony, and is pleased and much affected with it. This now is a practical knowledge, an affecting knowledge, because by it his affections are carried to the thing itself perceived.
But yet, thirdly, it is a new business to teach this man, thus affected to music, the art of playing upon an instrument, and to instil into him such a knowledge and fancy as may guide his fingers aright to play a lesson which he understands, the art of which consists more in
knowledge than in nimbleness of fingers. This also is a farther degree of practical knowledge.
Now, to apply this to things spiritual, A man may have the whole frame of divinity and of spiritual truths in his head, and yet they may have no influence on his heart. He may have a form of knowledge and yet feel no power of it; Rom. 2:20, 'An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law.' He may have a pattern of wholesome words, 2 Tim. 1:13, and yet have no experience of the things signified by them. Nay, he may be much delighted with such knowledge, and not have his heart affected with the things themselves which he knows in divinity. Though he knows what the true nature of love to God is, and of hatred of sin, yet his heart is not excited to love God or to hate sin. Though he knows Christ and grace, yet he doth not love, nor desire them, nor delight in them. Now this is a mere knowing knowledge.
But when he hath such a knowledge, as both works upon his mind and will, and stirs them and inflames them to those things which he knows, and makes him earnestly desirous of the attainment of God's favour and love, and of Christ's righteousness, &c.; and also sets him a-work, and guides him in those practices, ways, and means which God hath appointed for the attaining of them, such as faith and repentance, so as he knows how to do them, and how to frame himself and all in him as instruments in the practice of them.; both these kinds of knowledge are called practical knowledge, and the one of them you may call affecting knowledge, and the other guiding knowledge. And you shall find in Scripture such a knowledge spoken of as causeth you to love the things you know according to the worth of them. Thus, there is a knowledge to love the things which are excellent: Phil. 1:9, 10, 'And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ.' And there is a knowledge, too,
which guides you in doing such duties, whereby you may attain those things which are excellent, as is plainly supposed in Jer. 4:22, 'For my people is foolish; they have not known me, they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.' There is a knowledge implied in this text to do good.
Now, unregenerate men may and do come to have such a knowledge of spiritual things as affects them with the things which they know, as those hearers which are represented by the stony ground in the parable, received the word with joy: Mat. 13:4, 5, 20, 21, 'And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it: yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.' And they have also such a knowledge which directs and acts them in many holy practices, as Herod, enlightened by the preaching of John the Baptist, did many things: Mark 6:20, 'For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.' It is then needful to inquire into the difference of this knowledge, as it is in a person regenerate and one who is not so.
1. I will begin to examine the difference in that knowledge which affects them with the things that they know. And,
First, In general, I will assign the reasons and causes how and why we come to be affected with the things which we know, by our knowledge of them. There are two things concur to this.
1. We are then affected with the things which we know, when we look upon them and consider them not only as good, but as things of which we are persuaded that they are good for us, and that they
concern ourselves, and make for our own ends, purposes, and desires. Observe it in your own hearts when you will, and you shall find that you pass by many things, which, though you know to be good, yet you regard them not; but when your mind lights on anything which it apprehends suitable to your present purposes and desires, then you are affected with it, and presently seize on it. As it is not every stone, though a good one, that will move, and draw the iron after it, but the loadstone only, because it hath a particular affinity, likeness, and sympathy unto iron in nature, and that stirs the iron presently; so is it as to the objects of the mind. It is not what is good, but what hath a suitableness to our thoughts and desires, and what we apprehend to be best for us, which stirs us. The devils know the blood and death of Christ to be the only remedy against sin and its guilt, and the only means to purchase the greatest good; but because this is represented to them no way in relation to them, nor as concerning them at all, therefore they are not moved at the news of it; so that practical knowledge is such as convinceth and persuadeth the mind that a thing is good and best for us. But,
2. If besides this conviction by reason, there accompany this persuasion a real taste, relish, and sense of the sweetness, goodness, and worth of the thing which we apprehend good for us, let in at our understandings, so as we really find, taste, and perceive it to be so, then we are stirred and affected indeed with it. And where this is wanting, though there be a large conviction that the things are good for us, yet since this is but from bare and naked apprehensions taken up from others, without our own tasting them to be so, this conviction, though it may breed some lazy desires and faint wishes in us, yet none of them so strong as to be lasting. And therefore we shall find by experience that if two things, whereof one hath less goodness, be presented to us, yet if we have a real taste and sense of the goodness of it let into the soul, it moves us more than the naked relation or consideration of that thing which is of greater worth, whereof we have not a taste; as the sight or taste of a piece of the meanest bread stirs an hungry man's appetite more than the empty narrations of the greatest feast. And therefore still you will find that
all the reasons and motives which sway with you, and effectually move you, may be resolved into some principle or conclusion whereof you have had a real sense and taste, and all the reasonings built thereon move in the force and power of it. And the reason of this is, because indeed nothing moves us but realities, for our wills and affections are real things, and full of weight; and therefore it must be a real taste of the goodness of things which moves them, and not mere notions, and pictures, and empty descriptions of things by words. Such as is the cause, such will be the effect; and therefore a mere notional knowledge will not work really upon us, but notionally only.
That knowledge, then, which works upon us, hath a taste and real sense of the things known joined with it. And indeed God hath placed wisdom and understanding in men to supply that office to the will and affections which the tongue doth to the appetite and stomach, to take a taste of things, and to relish their sweetness, and to discern what goodness is in them, and so to admit and receive them. To be wise, therefore, and to taste, are signified by the same word in the Latin tongue, viz. sapere, and so in the Greek too some have translated φρονεῖν, to savour or taste; in Rom. 8:5, 'For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.' Some interpret the word φρονοῦσι, do taste, savour, or relish the things of the flesh. And Elihu, speaking of knowing things, says that the ear tries words as the mouth tastes meats: Job 34:3–4, 'Hear my words, o ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge: for the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. Let us choose to us judgment; let us know among ourselves what is good.' And so taste and knowledge are joined together in Psalm 34:8, 'O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.' And tasting, and being enlightened, are also put together: Heb. 6:4, 5, 'For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come;' that is, who are so enlightened as also to take in a relish of the goodness and
sweetness of the things. This only is to be added, that there are some things whose goodness our understandings taste immediately, as the pleasures of the body, which yet, because the soul (where judgment hath its seat) receiveth them in, therefore the soul by the understanding judgeth them good, and so may be said to taste them, and this is scientia gustûs, a knowledge of taste. There are other things which the judgment itself immediately tasteth, as honour, credit, revenge, &c., and finds a sweetness in these, as our senses do in other objects. And the reason why God hath given the mind this power of tasting things is, because otherwise it could not come to know the sweetness of things as they are in themselves; as a man cannot be said to know truly the sweetness of meat unless he hath tasted it, because till then he knows it not with that sense which is made to receive the sweetness of it, and discern it, and make report of it to the rest. So a blind man is not said to know colours, unless he apprehend them as they are to be apprehend by their proper sense, which is sight; and so the understanding tastes its objects as well as the senses do.
Now, then, to apply all this unto spiritual knowledge, as there is a goodness and sweetness in spiritual things, even the greatest, so this is no way to be tasted but by means of the understanding, neither is the soul ever to purpose effected with them till it tastes their goodness and sweetness: 1 Peter 2:2, 3, 'As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' We are there said to desire, if so be that we have tasted how good the Lord is, or otherwise our desires are not stirred. And so the apostle Paul prays for the Philippians, that love may abound in them, so as to approve the things which are excellent, and with affectation to discern things that differ; and how was this to be? In spiritual knowledge and sense, for the word is δοκιμάζειν: Philip. 1:9, 10, 'And this I pray, that your love, may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere, and without offence, till the day of Christ.' 'In all judgment,' i.e. in all sense; that is, as truly and really to perceive the
goodness of things spiritual by a true and proper sense and taste, as senses have perception of their objects. And therefore also that knowledge which a regenerate man hath of good and evil is called exercising of his senses: Heb. 5:14, 'But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even to those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.' The word is διάκρισις; and so the sight of God is joined with a taste of his goodness in Psalm 34:8, 'O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.' It is of this kind of knowledge too that Christ speaks to the woman of Samaria: John
4:10, 'Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.' 'If thou knewest,' saith he, 'the gift of God,' i.e. the water of life, which is known as water useth to be by the taste and sweetness of it, 'thou wouldst have asked it.' To this purpose also Solomon speaks in Prov.
24:13, 14, 'My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste. So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.' The knowledge of wisdom is both a sweetness at the present, which rewards it, and hath an expectation of a future good, of which it shall not be disappointed. Thus likewise in Isaiah the prophet, speaking of that excellent spirit of wisdom which is in Christ, expresseth of him that he shall be of a quick scent or smell in the fear of the Lord: Isa. 11:3,
'And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears,' as it is in the Hebrew. And the apostle, speaking of spiritual things, expresseth that they have a savour which goes along with them: 2 Cor. 2:14, 'Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.'